Best Skincare Routine for Teenage Acne

The best skincare routine for teenage acne morning and evening is as follows:

Morning:

Night:

For teens with acne, skincare should be kept as simple as possible. This article will explain everything you need to know about creating a great routine for teenage acne and keeping your skin barrier healthy.

Morning Teenage Acne Skincare Routine

Whether you have oily skin or acne prone skin, you can keep things simple with a quick morning routine and leave the real acne treatments for nighttime.

Gentle Cleanser

You can start your morning by washing your face with either water or a gentle cleanser. Some of the best affordable brands for teenagers dealing with acne breakouts include Vanicream, CeraVe, and La Roche Posay.

Moisturizer

A common misconception is that people with acne prone skin don’t need to moisturize. In fact, it is arguably more important to moisturize when treating acne.

Why?

Because you are already dealing with a compromised skin barrier which can lead to:

• Irritated skin

• Increased oil production

• Even more breakouts

That being said, you can substitute sunscreen as moisturizer in the morning if you have particularly oily skin.

CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion is one of my favorite moisturizers to include in a routine for teens because it is affordable and convenient as it is safe to use on both your face and body.

You can also choose any of the moisturizers I listed below in the “night routine” section.

SPF

Finishing off with sunscreen is important as excess exposure to UV light can make your acne scars and hyperpigmentation worse.

Depending on your skin’s needs, you can even replace your morning moisturizer with just sunscreen.

While there is evidence that the sun is also antimicrobial and may improve acne in small doses, it is still likely that a dermatologist would recommend SPF for teenage skin.

Evening Teenage Acne Skin Care Routine

To keep things simple for teenagers and still effectively treat acne, try this skincare routine.

Cleanser

Two of the best treatments for acne include benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid.

Benzoyl peroxide helps kill off acne causing bacteria and turn over dead skin cells. On the other hand, salicylic acid dissolves the sweat, dirt, and excess oil trapped in your pores before they become pimples.

Benzoyl peroxide is likely a better treatment for more severe acne and body acne while salicylic acid may be more suitable for those with sensitive skin.

However, if you are using a leave-on treatment with active ingredients as the second step in your skincare routine, pick a plain foaming cleanser instead.

Acne Treatment

These are three of the best leave-on acne treatments to include in your skincare regimen as a teenager. To start off, pick just one of these and use it consistently 3-5 nights per week for 1-3 months to see if it works for you.

Both salicylic acid and azelaic acid are effective acne treatments, but azelaic acid has the added benefit of also reducing hyperpigmentation (dark spots). Both salicylic acid and azelaic acid are safe to be worn in the morning and night.

If you have moderate acne and other active ingredients don’t work for you, you can consider upgrading to Differin gel. Unlike other acne treatments, adapalene should only be worn at night as it is inactivated by sunlight.

Moisturizer

Moisturizing is essential to protect your skin’s natural barrier and prevent future breakouts. Even if you have oily skin, make sure to moisturize as the last step in your skincare routine.

The CeraVe PM Lotion is one of my favorites as it’s formualted with niacinamide to help with dark spots. Also, Hydro Boost is a good choice for those with particularly oily skin.

Summary: Best Skin Care Routine for Teenage Acne

With teenagers, the most important factor in maintain a skincare routine is consistency.

Try to keep things as simple as possible – a cleanser, an acne treatment if needed, a moisturizer, and sunscreen.

The products in this post are all affordable and suitable for preventing acne for teens!